Chapter 461 - 221: Oh, the One from Mountain City

Chapter 461: Chapter 221: Oh, the One from Mountain City

Zhou Yan nodded. "Okay, just work hard. Twenty yuan is the base salary. If you do well, there’s a bonus on top of that."

"Twenty yuan is already a lot! I don’t need a bonus," Li Lihua said, waving her hand. She was already very satisfied with this job.

The three of them washed the dishes together: one washed, one rinsed, and one packed them into a large basket. Their efficiency shot up, and they finished in no time.

There was some braised pork head and beef with dried bamboo shoots left over today. Zhou Yan divided it up and packed it for Li Lihua and Zhao Hong to take home.

"This beef and pork head are so expensive! You should keep it for yourself, Boss," Li Lihua said, a little embarrassed and hesitant to take it.

"We can’t eat this much, and we’ll have fresh food tomorrow. Just take it home, fry up a vegetable dish, and your family will have a meal. It’ll save you from having to rush around when you get back." Mrs. Zhao ladled some of the leftover Kneeling Beef broth into a container for her, pressed the food box into her hands, and said with a smile, "Go home and get some rest. It’s going to be another busy day tomorrow."

"Exactly. If you don’t take any, Li, how can I?" Zhao Hong added with a smile.

"You all are too kind. I..." Li Lihua choked up a little.

’This was completely different from her last restaurant job. The supervisor there treated them like thieves, practically wanting to search them every day after their shift. This job felt so warm.’

"You should hurry on home. Your husband has been waiting outside for a while now." Mrs. Zhao said with a laugh, gently pushing her out the door before she could say more.

"Mrs. Zhao, Mr. Zhou, Zhou Yan, Momo, I’m heading out now!" Zhao Hong said with a smile, leaving with her share of the leftovers.

Zhou Yan went out for a run. When he returned, Mrs. Zhao was soaking her feet, and Comrade Zhou was standing behind her, massaging her shoulders.

Zhou Momo was sitting primly to the side, drawing.

Zhou Yan leaned in for a look. She was drawing *Wu Song Fights the Tiger*. Aside from the tiger looking a bit cute, the overall picture was quite well-done, and the colors were striking.

She hadn’t copied it from the picture book but had added her own imagination. For instance, Wu Song’s staff looked a bit like Sun Wukong’s Ruyi Golden Cudgel, and the big tiger leaping high in the air had a comically large head for its body. Its wide-open mouth was exaggerated, yet somehow cute.

Crayons couldn’t produce sharp lines, but her imagination and the final image still made Zhou Yan’s eyes light up.

"Brother, is it pretty?" Zhou Momo looked up at him, asking with a grin.

"Mhm, it’s very pretty," Zhou Yan said with a smile and a nod.

"I got the property deed." Without disturbing her drawing, Zhou Yan walked behind the counter, took the deed out of his bag, and handed it to Comrade Zhou.

The two of them examined the property deed, looking it over and over for a long time with smiles on their faces.

"This is wonderful," Mrs. Zhao said, nodding. She handed the deed back to Zhou Yan. "Keep it safe. Don’t lose it."

"Why don’t you keep it for me? I’m afraid I’ll forget where I put it," Zhou Yan said with a laugh, not taking it back.

Mrs. Zhao laughed at his words and nodded. "Okay, I’ll hold onto it for you for now. When you get married, I’ll give it to your wife to manage for you."

"Okay." Zhou Yan also nodded with a smile. ’Who knows when that’ll be.’

Zhou Momo finished her drawing, put away her crayons, and closed her sketchbook and picture book. She ran over, took Zhou Yan’s hand, and said softly, "Brother, when are we actually going to Mountain City to find Yaoyao?"

"She’ll probably come back to Hang City for the New Year. I’m mailing a letter to her tomorrow. Is there anything you want to send her?" Zhou Yan asked with a smile. He was too busy; a single day on Sunday wasn’t nearly enough time to go to Mountain City, so he couldn’t make any promises to the little one.

"Then I’ll send my *Wu Song Fights the Tiger* to Yaoyao! That way she’ll know I’ve read the picture book." Zhou Momo ran over, tore the newly finished drawing from her sketchbook, and handed it to Zhou Yan. "Tell Yaoyao I miss her."

"Okay." Zhou Yan nodded with a smile.

Mrs. Zhao shook her head, her smile tinged with a hint of helplessness.

Upstairs, Zhou Momo fell asleep the moment she hit the bed.

After turning off the lights, Mrs. Zhao whispered, "That girl, Xia Yao, is really wonderful, but Hang City is just too far. We can’t even see her now that she’s in Mountain City, and it’ll be even less likely after she graduates from college. Zhou Miao, do you think Zhou Yan has really fallen for her?"

"It’s hard to say. From what I see, Zhou Yan is completely focused on making money and building his business right now. He doesn’t seem lovesick at all," Comrade Zhou said, shaking his head. "They might just be pen pals. An occasional letter back and forth is nice, too."

"Then should I arrange for him to meet a couple of girls during the New Year?"

"You need to discuss that with Zhou Yan. He’s only twenty, so there’s no rush."

...

The next morning, after all the braised dishes were taken out of the pot, Zhou Yan untied his apron, came out of the kitchen, and let out a long sigh of relief.

This was the only moment of respite he’d get all morning. In a little while, he would have to start preparing for the lunch rush.

"Mail the letter!" Zhou Momo ran over to remind him.

"Got it." Zhou Yan smiled and nodded, taking the stamped letter from the cabinet and heading for the door.

Just as he stepped outside, a Toyota Crown pulled up and stopped in front of the restaurant.

The rear door opened, and Duan Yu Yan got out. Seeing the envelope in Zhou Yan’s hand, she asked casually, "Who are you mailing a letter to?"

"Yaoyao!" Zhou Momo answered before he could.

"Oh, the one in Mountain City?" Duan Yu Yan looked at Zhou Yan thoughtfully and asked with a smile, "Your girlfriend?"

In the distance, a shuttle bus swayed as it approached, stopping at the entrance of the textile factory.